The present invention relates to workflow process management of business organizations, more particularly to methods for managing business and life cycle operations which involve various functions in association with various types of machinery.
Over the last decade the U.S. Navy has actively been pursuing a strategy to reduce the cost of building, maintaining and operating their ships. The strategy included closing and realigning facilities and bases, reducing personnel, reforming the acquisition process and privatization of certain functions. This strategy has impacted the business of Navy Research & Development (R&D) centers such as The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD). The major aspects of this strategy which have affected the business of the Philadelphia site (Ship Systems Engineering Station) of NSWCCD, i.e., NSWCCD-SSES, are: base realignment and closure (BRAC); NAVSEA Downsizing; transferring life cycle management (LCM) to Philadelphia.
BRAC had a major impact on the world of machinery. The Annapolis site of NSWCCD was selected to close in 1995 and its Machinery R&D functions transferred to Philadelphia. For the first time, all key technical functions of the life cycle of Machinery were located at one site. The downsizing of NAVSEA meant that SEA 03 would no longer have the manpower to perform their traditional functions. The Navy would be required to transfer certain functions to the field. Ultimately, having all the key elements of Machinery located at one location made the decision to transfer life cycle management (LCM) from SEA 03 to Philadelphia straightforward.
A business strategy known as “workflow process re-engineering” has emerged in the business world the last several years. Workflow processes are being rethought and reimplemented by many organizations in order to achiever higher levels of quality, cost-efficiency, production and service. In an era of workforce downsizing, faster customer response and shorter time-to-market, organizations are effectuating workflow process re-engineering in a variety of realms.
The propitious circumstances for effectuating workflow process re-engineering gave rise to the present invention. Historically, the various functions of the business operations of NSWCCD had not been organized into a coherent whole. The transferring of LCM from SEA 03 to Philadelphia afforded NSWCCD-SSES an opportunity to reexamine the business of machinery.